February 2020 Newsletter from Elizabeth Minchilli

Elizabeth Minchilli
EATING MY WAY THROUGH ITALY

February 2020 Newsletter

I’m not usually big on celebrating life’s milestones. For years I didn’t really care about about my birthday (it’s the end of December so no one else really cares either) And somehow anniversaries seem even less of a big deal. For years Domenico and I could never even remember the correct date. Was it January 27? Or 29? We actually had to take our rings off to look at the inscription to make sure. I kid you not.

Why is it not such a big deal? Because, I think, in our heads we were married soon after we met. We basically moved in with each other almost immediately. And almost as quickly we had a dog, and Sophie was on her way. So the wedding thing, while fun, was more about doing the conventional thing, rather than taking the next big step. We knew we were meant to be together.

But last week we reached a milestone that even I couldn’t ignore. 30 years. How on earth did that happen? It truly does seem like just a few years ago. But looking at the photos made it hit home how many years have really passed. Sophie is now the same age I was when I got married. I’m now the same age my mother was when we got married. It’s the kind of math that makes things real.

The funnest part of this anniversary was pulling out the wedding album. We hadn’t done that in quite a while. One question: Who are these incredibly thin and young looking people? And they sure had a lot of hair.

What's New

Since all of our tours for 2020 are full, I was inspired to add just one more tour to the year. Since we aren’t doing another Rome tour in November this year I had some free time. Also? I’ve been wanting to collaborate with my friend Vicki for ages. Luckily she thought it was a grand idea too!

I’m talking about Vicki Bennison. And if her name is not immediately recognizable, I bet you already know her videos. She is the brilliant person who thought up the idea of Pasta Grannies! You know, that YouTube channel that once you start watching you can’t stop? Nonnas rolling out pasta which is (in my humble opinion ) the ideal antidote to absolutely everything else that is going on in the world today.

I would like to invite you to join Vicki and me (and Sophie of course! You know she loves a good nonna) in Parma for an entire week exploring the culture surrounding these grannies. We will of course be meeting some of these woman, as well as learning how to make pasta. But we will also be digging deeply into some of the ingredients that this part of the world is best known for: Parmigiano Reggiano, Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena, Prosciutto and Cullatello.

While pasta is made all over Italy, the region of Emilia Romagna is particularly famous for some of the most delicious and unique pastas made in Italy. In fact, when most non-Italians think of pasta it is the dishes of this region - Lasagna, Ravioli, Tortellini and Tagliatelle - that they think of. And they all have their roots in Emilia Romagna.

We will spend five full days diving deeply into this theme, through the eyes of the women who continue the traditions: the grannies. Each day we will be visiting markets and food producers as well as eating and cooking our way through as many types of pasta as possible.

What makes this week so special, of course, is the time we will be spending with the nonnas. In this part of the world the tradition of a woman firmly running the household from her kitchen is deeply entrenched and very much still alive. Often called cesarine or rezdore, the skill by which any of these women is judged is their ability to roll out a sheet of pasta dough as thinly as possible. We will be invited into the private homes of several of these women, where they will share their knowledge with us. While we will certainly come away with insight into pasta making skills, it is just as important to listen to the stories they have to tell.

The trip will take place November 8-14, 2020, and it's limited to 12 guests.

Just so you know, I’m letting my newsletter and blog readers know about the trip first. You’ll get the first chance to sign up. Then Vicki and I will be sharing it on social media. I expect to get a big response, but don’t worry, I'll be keeping track of the requests and the order they come in. If you'd like to join Vicki, Sophie and me and all the grannies, just send me and email for the details.

I also wanted to let you know that because of last minute cancellations 3 spots have opened up for the Week in Umbria trip in May 2020. Let me know if you’d like to join us. It's a gorgeous time of year in Umbria!

Where I've Been

Last winter (my down time tour wise and writing wise) we took a huge vacation to South Africa. This year I decided to stay closer to home. While I love big trips that take you away from your normal life, I’m also a big believer in ‘easier’ kind of breaks.

I’m a huge fan of the long weekend. It’s amazing what one extra day or night can mean. A regular weekend turns into a real vacation, am I right? A couple of weeks ago Domenico and I went up to Umbria on Friday, but instead of leaving after work, and getting there in the dark, we woke up extra early and were in Umbria by late morning. We then had three full days of taking walks, gardening, cooking, eating, seeing friends and (my favorite part) just taking naps by the fire place.

And I also made it to Parma for another weekend. Can you call 4 days a weekend? I think so. I stopped in Bologna on the way (so easy from Rome!) and then continued on to Parma to finalize all the details for the Pasta Grannies tour. I’ll be sharing all the restaurants and wine bars I visited on the blog soon. But in the meantime, for more about this area see my chapters on pasta, parmigiano and balsamico in my book Eating My Way Through Italy. (If that doesn’t get you hungry, then you may have a serious problem. )

Although Domenico and I didn’t make it back to Africa this year, Sophie did. She recently spent 2 full weeks in a small village in Ghana. Sophie went as a volunteer with International Volunteer HQ Her job was in childcare and she helped get kids get ready for school, helped with their meals and homework.
Sophie says:

"I feel blessed to have been able to spend two weeks participating in these kids life, getting to know them and playing with them. I will never forget them. But aside from the social impact I had on their life, I want to make a more economical difference now. I’ve created a Go Fund me page, and once I’ve reached a good amount of donations, I will send the money directly to the man in charge of the childcare program in the village, and he will then decide where the money can be spent in the most helpful way for the kids."

Follow this link to read more and, if you are so inclined, make a donation.

What I'm Reading

I've got very strong views on packing lightly. If you're curious how I almost never check in a bag (not even during a 3-week book tour) then this blog post is for you.

For some reason I've got packing on my mind lately. Which is why I loved this article. To unpack or not to Not to unpack? That's not even a question for me. I'm firmly on team 'un-pack.' I also use packing cubes, which have changed my often-on-the-road travel life. Clothes are rolled up in each separate cube, and it takes literally 5 minutes to place the cubes in drawers, ready to go. What's your travel routine?

And I pack lightly especially if I’m traveling by train, which this article makes me want to do.

Brava Elisabetta Povoledo for such an inspiring story about this strong, creative and totally bad ass woman.

We all know about the current state of food fraud in Italy (Moroccan olive oil anyone?) but did you know that organized crime's involvement in the agriculture trade dates back a century. Read all about the artichoke wars in NYC in the 1930's for a fascinating read. Who knew?

As I promised in my last newsletter, here is a blog post with all the details about our stay in Saturnia.

I just finished and loved Nothing to See Here. So odd and quirky, but in a good way.

What I'm Eating

This is the time of year I’m craving crisp crunchy vegetables. Luckily for me, here in Rome, there is no shortage of vegetables willing to play their part (along with fruit) in some of my favorite salads:

Radicchio and Blood Orange Salad
Fennel and Grapefruit
Red Cabbage Slaw
Broccoli and Orange Salad
Celery and Dates

And finally.....

This is a first! I was used as an example about words that are hard to pronounce (Meen-kee-lee!) on NPR by Isaac Mizrahi! (at 9:28) (Thank god All Of It With Alison Stewart knew who I was since I was on the show last year.) Also? Once you've been called 'fabulous' by Issac Mizrahi then you've reached a high point in your life.

x,Elizabeth

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